Punjab, Oct. 13 -- A consultation paper on Section 31D of the Copyright Act is expected shortly, and it will decide something with real money attached: whether the government sets the price broadcasters pay to play music. Broadcasters want it regulated. Labels and artist bodies want it left to the market.
What Section 31D is
It is the statutory licence provision - the clause that lets a broadcaster play recorded music without negotiating with every rights holder individually, in exchange for a royalty. The question has always been who fixes that royalty.
At present broadcasters take blanket licences from labels or copyright societies, giving them access to catalogues, and separately obtain public performance licences. The rate comes out ...